Split bolt connector



y 1966 A. B; GUNTHEL, JR 3,260,987

SPLIT BOLT CONNECTOR Filed April 8, 1965 FIG. 1 1

FIG. 3

INVENTOR. ALFRED B GUNTHEL, JR.

BY WWW ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,260,987 SPLIT BOLT CONNECTOR Alfred B. Gunthel, Jr., Sea Cliff, N.Y., assignor to Dossert Manufacturing Corp., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 446,499 2 Claims. (Cl. 339-244) This invention relates to connectors for electrical cables of endless lengths and more particularly to an improved structure for securing the cables to the connector.

In a connector of this type the cables are inserted one directly above the other within the slot. To hold the cables securely within the slot a saddle is placed through the slot resting on the top cable. This structure is then held firmly in place by a nut which is screwed over the outer surface of the connector until it is firmly engaged to the top of the saddle. When it is desired to install cables or to remove cables, or to install new cables it is necessary to remove the nut from the surface of the connector. During this installation process the nut is disengaged from the surface of a connector and thus may be easily separated from the connector.

To prevent this separation a wire tap retainer is connected to the top of the connector. During an installation process the wire tap retainer retains the nut in engagement with the body of the connecter while permitting insertion or removal of the cables from the slot.

It is a purpose of this invention to provide a structure to permit stable connection of the wire tap retainer to the connector.

It is further an object of this invention to provide economical and relatively simple procedure to engage the wire tap retainer to the connector providing a reliable means of securing the nut to the connector during cable removal or installation.

For a better understanding of this invention reference may be had to the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is an elevation showing a slotted connector in a preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged portion illustrating a preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of that shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the view of FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4, a connector 3, is provided having a threaded outside surface 6 and a slot 12 therethrough and a downwardly extending threaded portion which engages a support (not shown). Electrical cables 4 of endless length are inserted into the slot 12 in vertical disposition. Saddle 7 is placed through the slot and above the cables, as shown in FIG. 4.

Once the cables and saddle have been inserted in the slot, nut 2 is threadably engaged with surface 6 and is positioned to insert a restraining force upon the cables 4 now within the slot. Wire tap retainer 1 is connected to the top of the connector 3 through a connection to retainer member 8.

When cables 4 are to be removed from the slot and new cables are to be installed Within the slot, nut 2 is unthreaded from threaded surface 6 until it becomes disengaged from threaded surface 6. The nut is prevented from complete disengagement from the connector by the restraining action upOn it by wire tap retainer 1. As

shown in FIG. 2, the wire tap retainer 1 is enlarged toward the top portion so that When the nut 2 is unthreaded from surface 6 the nut is captured by this enlarged top portion. Once the cabling insertion or removal has been completed, the saddle is replaced in the slot and nut 2 is rethreaded over threaded surface 6 and the new cables are once again kept in place.

Retainer member 8 is constructed with two upstanding portions 11, separated by a notch 9. Apertures are drilled through these upstanding members, through which the free ends 10 of wire retainer 1 fit. When the free ends of the wire tap retainer are positioned through apertures 11 they are then deformed, as by cold working, in a known manner, such as staking so that the width of the free end 10 is greater than the width of the aperture, so that motion of the wire within the retainer is permitted, but Withdrawal of the ends from the apertures is prevented.

While the above description discloses a preferred embodiment of my invention, my invention is by no means to be limited to the embodiments shown, but rather any limitation shall be that specified in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a split bolt connector having two legs with threaded sections and a nut threadedly engaged on said legs, one of said legs having a bifurcated extension at one end thereof defining an open notch, at least one leg of said bifurcated extension having an aperture therethrough, a wire nut retainer having a terminal portion extending through said aperture into said open notch, the terminal end of said portion being flattened to present an end of greater width than the width of said aperture, thereby preventing withdrawal of said retainer through said aperture.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said wire nut retainer has an enlarged head portion for capturing said nut to said connector when said nut is removed from its threaded position and, wherein both legs of said bifurcated extension have an aperture therethrough and wherein said nut retainer has two facing end portions each of which extends through one of said apertures into said open notch in said bifurcated extension, both of said end portions being flattened to present a greater width than the width of said apertures.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 774,720 11/ 1904 Ferrall 16-126 2,129,086 9/ 1938 Fotsch 339-244 2,206,295 7/ 1940 Ziemer 339-244 2,290,691 7/1942 Lemont 339-244 2,312,240 2/1943 Dibner 24-135 X 2,474,397 6/1949 Henne 292-246 2,704,218 3/1955 Claud-Mantle 292-247 X 3,025,094 3/1962 Buchanan 292-247 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,093,849 12/ 1960 Germany.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH D. SEERS, Examiner.

P. TEITELBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SPLIT BOLT CONNECTOR HAVING TWO LEGS WITH THREADED SECTIONS AND A NUT THREADLY ENGAGED ON SAID LEGS, ONE OF SAID LEGS HAVING A BIFURCATED EXTENSION AT ONE END THEREOF DEFINING AN OPEN NOTCH, AT LEAST ONE LEG OF SAID BIFURCATED EXTENSION HAVING AN APERTURE THERETHROUGH, A WIRE NUT RETAINER HAVING A TERMINAL PORTION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURE INTO SAID OPEN NOTCH, THE 